Morocco manager Walid Regragui believes Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz was ‘disturbed’ before his shocking penalty miss in the Africa Cup of Nations final defeat to Senegal.
Diaz was handed a golden chance to seal Morocco’s first continental title when the AFCON hosts were awarded a last-minute penalty with the score goalless.
But the penalty kick was delayed by 17 minutes as Senegal boss Pape Thiaw ordered his team off the pitch in protest against the controversial VAR decision.
Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy delayed Diaz’s spot-kick further when the players finally returned to the pitch under pressure from Liverpool legend Sadio Mane.
Diaz kissed the ball before placing it on the penalty spot but his Panenka-style chip lacked conviction and was comfortably saved by Mendy, who hardly had to move.
A wild and unsavoury Africa Cup of Nations final went to extra-time and it was there that Pape Gueye scored a superb win to hand Senegal their second AFCON title.
The Morocco players were devastated after the match and Diaz was seen in tears as Senegal lifted the trophy.
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The 26-year-old’s tame penalty led to suggestions online hat he had deliberately missed to ease Senegal’s fury over the penalty.
But Morocco manager Regragui said: ‘He had a lot of time before taking the penalty which must have disturbed him.
‘But we can’t change what happened. That is how he chose to take the penalty. We need to look forwards now.’
Mendy was asked about his interaction with Diaz before the penalty miss and said: ‘What did we say to each other? That’s between us.
‘We did it together and we came back together, that’s all that matters. We can be proud tonight.’
Diaz was the top goalscorer at the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations and posed for a picture with player of the tournament Mane and goalkeeper of the tournament Yassine Bounou after the defeat.
But Nigeria hero John Obi Mikel believes the penalty miss ‘spoils everything’ Diaz did in the tournament and said he will be ‘devastated’ for ‘months’.
‘To do that it spoils everything Brahim Diaz has done well in this tournament,’ Mikel said on Channel 4.
‘He is going to be devastated. This is going to be tough on him, for weeks, for months.’
Former Morocco international Hassan Kachloul added: ‘I think Brahim Diaz is going to have a lot of nightmares in the coming days, but that is part of football life.
‘Diaz must have changed his mind a few times before kicking that ball. Unfortunately for Morocco, they paid the price.’
More to follow…
